One-way clutch



Oct. 10, 1939. R. CHILTON 5,876 V ONE-IA! CLUTCH Filed Kay 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 50 V w 44 4&(4

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ONE -WAY CLU'I'G H Filed Kay 15, 193'! 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR, KOLHMD CliUTO/V Patented Oct. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ONE-WAY CLUTCH New. York Application May 15, 1937, Serial No. 142,753

7 Claims.

This invention comprises improvements in one-way clutches, an embodiment showing the invention applied toan otherwise conventional roller type clutch beingillustrated in the draw- 5 ings.

In this well known type of clutch, a driving and driven member comprise respectively smooth and cam-form track surfaces with which rollers cooperate to automatically lock the mem- 10 bers against relative rotation in one direction only. This is achieved through a wedging action which requires a small angle or rise in the cam member which results in the contact load between the rollers and the engaged members be- 16 ing very high with respect to the torque transmitted. These jamming roller loads rigidly determine the alignment between the two members when under driving effort and if any extraneous force should be present tending to produce mis- 20 alignment, the resulting motion is taken at the contact between the rollers and the cam and ring members, and even though such motion has very slight amplitude, it has been found to produce local wear or scufling of the cam surfaces which, if continued, will ultimately so modify the slight cam angle (on which the action of the clutch depends) as to cause slippage. Accordingly, a prime object of this invention is to provide simple means whereby the alignment of the 30 parts may be that dictated by the roller engagement and whereby any extraneous misalignment is compensated so as to prevent the possibility of sliding or working at the roller contacts during driving operation. Other objects and advan- 35 tages will be pointed out in the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an axial fragmentary section;

Fig. 2 is a.similar. section with one possible 40 source of misalignment illustrated to exaggerated scale;

Fig. 3 is an axial section of a slightly modified form of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 44 of 45 Fig. 3, illustrating the conventional roller clutch elements forming part of the assembly of the invention; and v Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. 1

50 These drawings show the environment of a roller clutch on which extensive development work has been done in connection with aircraft engine two-speed supercharger drives of the type shown in Patent No. 2,034,087.

5 In the embodiment of Fig. 1, a pinion l engages a driving gear (not shown) and is mounted for free rotation on a shaft I2 as is also a clutch pinion H which is equipped with a conventional cam l6 engaged by rollers l8, spaced by a cage 20 and engaging a ring or internal track 22, shown as integral with the shaft l2 through a back plate or disc 24. The pinions l0 and H are connected by back gears indicated in fragmentary section at 26-28. Except for the proportions of the element 24, the parts so far de- 10 scribed represent an existing conventional structure.

The pinion and cam hub memberl4--l6 is provided with a bushing 30 rotatably free on the shaft l2 wherefore a certain running clearance must necessarily be provided in this bearing. Fig.

2 shows in exaggerated form the result of this clearance as follows:- When the clutch is engaged, the very high loads on the rollers center the cam l6 so that this end of the bushing clears the shaft all around. However, the pinion M at the other end of the member l4-l6 is subject to tooth loads from the engaged gear 28 which forces this end of the bushing into contact with the shaft as illustrated at 32. The result is that the gear and cam hub element I4-l6 is urged to run at a slight angle to the shaft l2, with which the ring 22 was originally made rigid by the roller engagement. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the pinion II and shaft l2 are rotating, 30 the location of the zero clearance point 32 rotates relative to the shaft so that the cam l6 has a slight relative gyratory motion, which motion sets up slight movement between the rollers and the contacted parts which, after protracted run- 35 ning, cause the rollers to chafe slight depressions in the cam member and, when such depressions are wide enough to subtend a few degrees of are around the roller, slippage of the clutch results because the designed angle of the cam has, by this wear, been increased at the actual roller contact. I

This has been a common source of trouble with roller clutches but it has been previously attributed to overloading or insuflicient capacity in the rollers. In the development referred to, it was demonstrated that the difliculty was due to the minute but rapid motion from misalignment. In the original clutch, the disc member 24 uniting the driven ring 22 with the shaft l2 was made of conventional thickness (about three times that indicated) and it was found that, as long as the bearing clearance of the bushing 30 could be kept down to .001 of an inch, the clutch cam would show no scuiling but, when a more normal clearance ol" .003 was tried, depressions soon occurred at the roller contacts on the cam. In practice, it is dimcult and undesirable to maintain the clearance at such a small figure as .001 inch and accordingly, the expedient of thinning up the back plate 24 to the abnormally thin proportions was tried. This thin disc has substantial lateral flexibility, sumcient to permit the ring 22 to follow a slightly gyratory path so that these members rotate Without any relative wobbling so that relative motion at the roller contacts is avoided.

In this specific embodiment, the flexible universal connection has been shown as between the ring 22 andthe shaft [2 and to comprise 8. flexible element integral with these parts.

In Fig. 3, there is shown an embodiment of the invention suitable for an automobile free-wheel, the entire structure being conventional except that the outer ring 22a is secured to the shaft I211: by a loose splined joint 34-44% permitting slight axial motion whereby the ring He may follow the cam lEo. In this embodiment, a conventional universal joint and propeller shaft will be attached to the usual flange 36 and the weight of these parts will cause the right hand end of the bushing 30a to be in contact always at the top of the shaft pilot 38, whereas the cam end of this bushing 30a will be held central by the rollers when the clutch is engaged, producing slight misalignment as discussed in connection with Fig.

2. Here, again, as the parts are rotated, the result is a relative gyratory motion which is taken at the spline connection 34 thereby eliminating relative motion at the rollers, so preventing the scufllng and wear thereat. Said spline connection comprises inter-engaging teeth 40 and 2, respectively, integral with the elements (I and 22 the splines being held in proper axial position by a lock wire 44 extending clrcumferentially in a slot 46 formed by interrupting the teeth 40 and 2 intermediate their length, the wire being inserted through a tangential hole 46 formed in the member 22a.

While I have described my invention in detail in its present preferred embodiments; it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, after understanding my invention, that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. I aim in the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a shaft, a bearing having a running shalt, a cam on said member,

a member including clearance upon said rollers engaging said cam, a ring engaging said rollers, and torsionally rigid means drivably connecting said ring and shaft and having slight lateral yield whereby the ring and cam member may rotate about a common axis notwithstanding that such axis becomes misaligned with the shaft axis on ac count of said bearing clearance.

2. In a one-way clutch comprising cam and ring members and rollers therebetween, drive means for said m nbers producing eccentric loading thereon wherby misalignment of the members is urged during operation, and a torsion'al rigid laterally flexible element connecting one said member with a. corresponding drive means adapted to absorb the misalignment as it occurs.

3. In combination, a cam member including a.

hub, an embracing ring member including a. hub

and a. laterally yiel'dable integral web joining the ring and its hub, and rollers providing a. one-way driving connection between said cam member and said ring member.

4. In combination, a cam member including a. hub, an embracing ring member including a hub and a laterally yieldable integral web Joining the ring and its hub, rollers providing a one-way driving connection between said cam member and said ring member, and a. shaft to which one said hub is fixedv and on which the other said hub is jcurnaled.

5. In combination, a shaft having an integral flexible annular web extending therefrom, a ring integral with said web and having an internal circular track, a. cam member, including a driving connection, Journaled on said shaft, the cam member being embraced by the ring, and rollers providing a one-way driving connection between said cam and ring.

6. In combination, a. rotatable cam member, an embracing ring member, rollers providing a oneway driving connection between said cam and ring members, and a hub having a, loose spline driving connection with said ring, said connection providing for a positive drive between the ring and hub but by its looseness permitting the ring to run in alinement with the cam and out of alinement with the hub.

'7. In combination, a shaft having a hub secured thereto, a. ring loosely splined to the hub for positive driving relation therewith but free for slight misalinement due to the spline looseness, a camjournaled on said shaft, and rollers providlng a. one-way driving connection between said cam and ring.

ROLAND ormmjn. 

